1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to mobile campers of the type typically carried in the bed of a pick-up truck, and, more particularly, to a cooling system which is designed to cool such a camper without any chemicals or motors.
2. Description of the Related Art
In the related art, many types of pick-up truck campers as well as pick-up truck bed caps are known. For example, the following are known which disclose a variety of such related art:
U.S. Pat. No. 4,943,108 issued in the name of Turnbull; PA1 U.S. Pat. No. 4,932,717 issued in the name of Swann; PA1 U.S. Pat. No. 4,927,206 issued in the name of Murdock; PA1 U.S. Pat. No. 4,335,916 issued in the name of Gutgsell; and PA1 U.S. Design Pat. No. 254,905 issued in the name of Collins.
And, although all of these references disclose manners of sheltering pick-up truck beds, none of this related art discloses a method of cooling the compartment formed by a pick-up truck bed and a cap or cover.
Numerous attempts have been made to cool an interior compartment of an automobile. Conventional methods utilizing refrigerants and air conditioners are widely known. Also, several methods of cooling an automobile compartment without refrigerants are known. For instance, U.S. Pat. No. 3,931,796, issued in the name of Ku, discloses a portable air conditioner which utilizes ice as a cooling medium. However, a portable air conditioner made in accordance with this reference is associated with several drawbacks. For example, motors are required to intake and discharge air. Moreover, pumps appear to be necessary in order to circulate water over the heat transfer fins.
Additionally, U.S. Pat. No. 5,197,301, issued in the name of Holcomb, discloses an ice cooled air conditioner and method. As disclosed in the Holcomb reference, once again at least one fan is required in order to circulate air through an air cooling duct and out an air exit port.
And finally, in U.S. Pat. No. 3,529,435 issued in the name of Becker, an air cooler for automobile is disclosed. According to the Becker reference, air is forced across a cooler containing frozen carbon dioxide, or dry ice. Aside from the problems of the availability of dry ice and the need for a circulating fan, such a disclosure poses the obvious hazards associated with allowing a source of gaseous carbon dioxide within a closed compartment such as that of an automobile or even a camper compartment.
Consequently, a need has been felt for providing an apparatus and method which overcomes the problems and discomforts associated with allowing the air in a living compartment of a camper to remain heated, but at the same time not involving complex, motorized equipment that requires constant electrical energy and utilized complex moving parts.